Hardware modification and hacking has always been a passion of mine, so when I was given the opportunity to develop a prototype for a more portable version of our MetaDefender kiosk I was excited to take on the challenge. When I was originally introduced to this project, there were multiple tablet pedestals identified as possible kiosk alternatives. The Lilitab product I was most interested in was designed for an iPad, but MetaDefender runs on Windows, so I did some research and found they have an alternative mount that will accommodate a Microsoft Surface Pro.
Unfortunately, it's designed for a Surface RT/2, so there were several issues: there was no place for the tablet's USB port to be accessed, no external access to the power button and there was a very limited amount of physical space available. In addition to these issues, I needed to add functionality for an Ethernet adapter, as well as two more external USB ports. MetaDefender acts as a checkpoint for portable media such as USB drives, scanning them for threats before they enter a system, so it was important to have a way to access the USB port in my prototype design.
I decided to tackle what I considered to be the easier of two challenges to overcome: adding a USB port and Ethernet adapter into the unit. I started by taking apart a simple 4-port USB hub and directly soldering the USB cable conductors for the USB Ethernet adapter and the external USB ports to the PCB of the hub.
For those who noticed, I made a small mistake and switched the data lines on one of those connections in the picture above, but later corrected it. Soldering the wires directly allows for the entire assembly to fit neatly into the vertical pipe of the tablet mount. Once properly protected by heatshrink and electrical tape, the entire assemblage with the Ethernet and USB cables connected could fit in behind the baseplate of the unit. Only the cable for the external USB port is visible after installation.
The external USB ports for scanning media are affixed to the backplate, but are accessible from the left side. Later versions will have a port on each side. Below is a block diagram of the connections and wires I added.
At this stage I now have an Ethernet cable hanging off the back of the unit. The next step is to modify the pedestal base so it looks more professional.
For the prototype, I'm using an Ethernet coupler mounted inside the base of the unit instead of an actual keystone. This leaves room for slack on the cable and also gives a bit more freedom as to its placement. In order to fit this coupler, one of the tabs on the cover had to be removed and a hole had to be cut in the back of the unit.
The end result isn't as clean as I would have liked it to be, but it is serviceable and a much better fit than having the extra cable hanging off the back.
Solving the issue of power button access required a different approach. There was a hole on the inner part of the mount just above the power button, but it didn't connect to the outside. I chose to have a custom-made 3D button printed and then drilled out a hole for it on the top of the unit.
I'll be building a new keyboard mount for the kiosk if/when we decide to move forward with these devices, as that piece will require access to an aluminum CNC mill or other similar manufacturing machinery. The idea will be to allow for alternate Bluetooth or wired keyboards to be mounted. For now, we're sticking with the Apple keyboard this mount was designed for, as it functions as expected, even if it is out of sync with the general color scheme.
For now, the prototype will mostly be used as a tradeshow piece as it is very lightweight and easy to transport. Future versions of the model will have security enhancements added to make it more difficult to steal or dismantle. My estimate for the scanning power for this particular model is around 8 engines, but it would need additional specs added before it could handle that level of multi-scanning. My hope is to take what I learned during building this prototype and apply it to future builds, making improvements along the way.
Do you have any special requests or ideas for MetaDefender kiosk customizations? Tweet us @OPSWAT and let us know!
